Trading Spaces

Epilogue

“I knew you were the one, but I kept you waiting, kept you waiting, anticipating, now I’m waiting for you.” ~Sugar Ray

The news that Bob, beloved guardian, had left the system of Mainframe to never return was something the Mainframers found hard to believe, especially when they knew where he was this time. It was a sad second for all those that knew him, especially those close to him.

Matrix and Enzo had been depressed ever since Bob told them the news. Both now felt as though they had caused the breakup of sorts with their plan and now they were paying for it. Worse of all, of course, was Dot herself, who as Bob figured, took most of the heat for his departure.

The feelings of hurt and guilt seemed to get worse as the seconds turned to a cycle, then two, then three. Any hope that Bob would return was slowly dwindling. Matrix, Enzo, and AndrAIa sat in a booth at the Diner, neither saying a word to each other. The game sprite had watch the two slip deeper and deeper into a despair that she thought she wouldn’t see ever, especially in Little Enzo.

“Guys…” she said, trying to get the two to talk to her. “At least say something.” When she received no answer, she continued. “You know, system wise, we really don’t need Bob.”

Both looked up, with evil glares in their eyes.

“Now hear me out.” she amended, wanting to calm them. “If you really think about it, the system itself is okay without Bob here. We have a guardian, whether you admit it or not.” she addressed Matrix. “And we know Enzo has the protocols, so we’re pretty much safe and we can handle the games, so…”

With a sigh, she said, “It still doesn’t mean things are the same without him.”

“How’s Dot?” Matrix asked, looking at his brother. Enzo shrugged and laid his head on the table. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

Enzo shrugged again. “I haven’t seen her.” he sighed. “I get up, go to school, she’s still in bed. I come home, she’s not there. It just repeats and repeats, you know.”

“Sorry we drove you to drive our guardian out of the system?” Matrix continued.

“Hey, what you say to her is what you say to her.” she replied. “I’m sure she feels bad enough without thinking the two of you hate her for doing what she did. Besides…it was our plan that put her in the situation in the first place.”

The two didn’t say anything. “We haven’t exactly been great friends to Bob either, I might add.” The two looked at her before turning away. “And you know what I mean.” she said.

“It didn’t mean he had to leave.” Enzo whispered.

“Just think of it as an extended vacation.” Andri replied.

“Yeah, one he’s never coming back from.” Matrix muttered. AndrAIa kicked him under the booth, sending a look to him about the other person with them. Enzo had heard the comment, which only made him sadder than he already was.

***

Dot sat in her office, just looking at the scenery of Mainframe. She had spent much of her time here, when Phong didn’t demand she go home at night, just sitting and looking at the large screen of the system in front of her. It was reminiscent of the other times she had locked herself away, wanting to be by herself.

The first time had been after the Twin City had exploded. When this had been just a wall inside the Principal Office, Phong had let be by herself in his office. Then during Megaframe and after she had lost Bob the first time, she had spent her time alone there, the weight of the rebellion weighing heavily on her.

She shook her head, sniffing. She had lost him again, for a third time now. The previous times he had come back to her, but this time…this time, there would be no happy ending. She had pushed him away for a final time and now he would never come back.

She couldn’t believe how utterly basic she was. Life was how she wanted it, even if it planned into Matrix and Enzo’s hands, the bottom line was she had Bob and they were finally together and she had gone and ruined it. Like always, she had been scared when things had started becoming real and deeper between them and she had pushed him away.

But he wasn’t going to take it anymore.

As he had said, her actions with Megabyte had hurt him deeply, so much so that he wasn’t sure if he could fully forgive her. But she knew she deserved it. Even she couldn’t believe her actions of late. Dot was so lost in thought, she didn’t hear the door open until the delivery boy was already there.

“Delivery, Miss Matrix.” he said, placing a small card on her desk.

“Thank you.” she replied, her voice raspy from crying. She picked up the card, her heart breaking as she saw it was one of those “wish you were here” cards. Something from Bob, no doubt, who was probably glad to be so far away from her, he felt the need to actually tell her. It wasn’t until she flipped the card over that she was pleasantly surprised.

I’m miserable without you. I really do wish you were here. I miss you. I need you. 452.

Dot sniffed again, a small smile on her face. Someone clearing their throat made her realize in shock that the delivery boy was still there. “Oh sorry.” she said. “Did you want a tip?”

“Yeah actually.” he said. “I could kinda use your advice.”

Dot listened closely. Why does he sound familiar?

“See, there’s this girl who I’m hopelessly, deeply, and madly in love with, but for some reason I just can’t make her understand that we need to be together.” he said.

Dot eyes widened. It couldn’t be!

“So I was thinking of going to her home system, right?” he was saying. “Finding her, grabbing her, and kissing her passionately like the end of some movie.” Dot couldn’t help but grin. “Sounds kinda basic, huh?” he asked.

Dot shook her head. “No.” she said. “Kinda like on the fly though.”

He chuckled. “Yeah.” he said. “She’s the planner, not me. I just do what my heart tells me.”

“And what’s it telling you?” she asked.

“It’s telling me to grab you and kiss you like the end of some basic movie.” he said. “And then fleeing with you to some system with a minister, so I can marry you on the spot.”

Dot turned her chair to face him. “I don’t think Mouse would like that.” she said. “Not being invited to the wedding and all.”

“We’ll make her a video.” he said. Holding out his hand, he whispered, “Dot…”

In less than a moment, she was in his arms, kissing him deeply. Breaking it, she hugged him tightly. “I missed you so much.” she whispered. “I thought you weren’t coming back.”

“I couldn’t stay away from you.” he said. “I just couldn’t.” Pulling back to look at her, he said in all seriousness, “I was serious, Dot, about marrying you. I do want to marry you. Like…today, this very afternoon.”

Dot looked at him, slightly shocked. She was even more shocked with what she was thinking.

“I mean, I understand if you don’t want to after…you know,” he rambled. “But I love you and I really can’t live without you.”

“All right.” she said.

“I know you’ll probably say no, but at least…what?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” she said with a smile. “Today. This afternoon. Right now if you wanted to.”

Bob just looked at her. “Are you serious?” he asked.

“Are you?” she retorted.

“Yes.”

“So am I.”

“But…” he began, but was silence by her fingertips on his lips.

“You were right, you know.” she whispered. “I had us doing this dance of maybes and even I got tired of it. I was just scared, Bob, especially after what Megabyte did. I wasn’t sure if I could totally trust my feelings, but…” she paused to kiss him again. “I love you, Bob.” she said. “And if I remember correctly, I believe I asked you to marry me. The offer still stands, Guardian 452.”

“How can I refuse?” he whispered against her lips before kissing them. “We really need to find Phong.” he said, breathlessly. “Like now.”

Dot giggled before leaving his arms. “He’s out there, I’m sure.” she said. “But we do have to call our witnesses you know.”

“They’ll be excited.” Bob joked.

***

Excited wasn’t even the word for what the others were feeling.

People from the original wedding party were now standing in Phong’s office, dressed in their regular clothes, awaiting a wedding. Matrix and Enzo were still somewhat in shock over the whole thing. It was one thing to see Bob had come back, but it was something entirely when he bypassed them, saying he and Dot were getting married in Phong’s office.

Mouse and AndrAIa weren’t trying to get the boys dressed up in their tuxedos, but Matrix blatantly refused. “No!” he had exclaimed. “This is some weird, freakish joke! I know it!”

Even Little Enzo was suspicious of the whole thing. “This is so not Dot.” he had said. “I’m with Big Me here. This is a freakish joke to get back at us for our plan. That’s what it is, huh, Matrix?” Matrix had nodded.

AndrAIa had screamed.

So now, Mouse and AndrAIa were in their brides maid dresses, while Matrix and Enzo stood with their regular clothes on. Bob was no where in sight. “See?” Matrix said. “He’s not coming. Told you. Big joke.”

“Shut up.” his girlfriend said.

Bob soon came into the room, dressed in a tux of his own. He stopped seeing the guys weren’t. “Why aren’t you dressed?” he asked. “I know this is kinda last nano, but I know you have the formats in your icons.”

“We’re not falling for it, Bob.” Matrix said.

“Nope.”

“Not falling for it.”

“What?” Bob asked.

“They think this is some kind of joke.” AndrAIa said, rolling her eyes.

“Right.” he said. “Follow me, boys. I have a solution to your problem.”

Meanwhile, Dot was in a secret chamber that Phong had allowed her access to. She looked at herself in the mirror, her wedding dress still in perfect condition from the last ‘wedding’. She didn’t even want to wear it, but Bob had insisted.

“You looked so beautiful in that dress.” he had said. “Wear it for me.”

She couldn’t say no to him.

Dot sighed in remembrance, but then smiled. This time it would be right. She’d be marrying the sprite she was supposed to. A knock on the door signaled that her father had arrived to walk to the ceremony. With one last sigh, she turned to let him in.

It was almost time for Dot to enter when Bob and the Matrix boys finally came back. To everyone’s surprise, the two brothers wore guardian dress uniforms, both looking incredibly dashing. Mouse gave a long whistle, with AndrAIa following her.

“I hope you saved the tux.” AndrAIa whispered. “Not that you don’t look hot in that. I could see you marrying me in that.” Matrix nodded, before realizing what she said. He looked at her smiled.

“Nice lookin’ uniforms, Bob honey.” Mouse said to him.

“I figured me in the dress blues wouldn’t be good.” he whispered. “You know, weird irony? Evil de ja vu. Besides, it’s time those two got the proper guardian attire, don’t you think?”

Phong cleared his throat as Dot and Welman Matrix entered the office. Bob’s voice caught as he saw his wife to be. User, she was beautiful! She smiled at him, to which he returned one of his own. He was just happy that it was him he was marrying this time.

Dot smiled as she and Welman walked towards Bob and their friends. She too noticed the outfit switch, which she thought looked better anyways. It would’ve been nice to see all three in their dress blues, but things considering, she was glad Bob didn’t wear his. Besides, he was handsome as ever in a tux anyways.

The walk was short, but seemed forever before Welman put his daughter in the guardian’s hand, for a second time. After everything, he too was glad they were finally together, though he wished the ceremony was bigger and not so elope-ish as it seemed. But, as Dot had told him, there would be a bigger ceremony in few minutes or an hour.

They were finally happy. That’s all he wanted.

Phong looked at the two as he began his sermon. “It is good to see you two back together.” he started. “And on a wonderful second when you will finally become man and sprite. We are so happily gathered here…”

***

The group stayed in Phong’s office after the ceremony, needing of course to change and the like. The happy couple decided to keep this wedding a secret, but in a few minutes they would make a public announcement about their upcoming “nuptials” which would take place for all of Mainframe. This was just something Bob and Dot wanted, the knowledge they were officially man and sprite was enough for them. before they left, Matrix and Enzo had pulled Dot over to the side, both looking seemingly distressed with recent events.

“Dot,” Enzo started. “We have a bone to pick with you.”

“A serious matter indeed.” Matrix added.

“This…this….”

“This is the most random…” Matrix began.

“Insane…” Enzo continued.

“Motherboard flipping…”

“Hexadecimal crazy!”

“…Thing you have ever done in you’re entire life!”

“And we only have one thing to say about that.” Enzo replied.

Dot looked at the two in awe. She didn’t she had ever seen them so upset before. Could her marriage to Bob have been that upsetting?

“We are so proud.” Enzo said, a huge smile on his face.

“Very proud.” Matrix added.

“Of you.”

Dot looked at them. “Are you saying, out of all the things I’ve done, all the accomplishments…” she began. “Marrying Bob on the fly, spur of the moment is what you consider my crowning achievement?” The two nodded.

“And just so you know,” Matrix said. “We support you.”

Dot just rolled her eyes. “Thanks guys.” she said. “You have no idea how you saying that has set my mind at ease.”

***

Dot sighed contentedly, her finger drawing small circles on Bob’s chest. She could get very used to married life. After the ceremony, after the second of work, and after talking with Matrix and AndrAIa, who took a sleepy Enzo home with them, the couple headed downstairs to their apartment. Dot smiled thinking about it. Their apartment. They could be a family now. She and Bob could be starting…could have started one that night.

The first time had been out in the living room, on the couch. It was passion driven, of course, but spectacular none the less. The second time had been in their bed and it been slow, sweet, just what Dot had expected from him, like their first time together earlier that cycle. The third time, Dot had made him surrender to her, leaving both clearly satisfied and extremely tired. Dot stretched slightly, causing a small moan from Bob, who tighter his arms around her.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish.” he quipped.

Dot poked him with her fingernail. “I never start things I don’t intend on finishing.” she retorted. Bob chuckled. She looked at him, kissing his cheek. “I love you.” she said.

“I love you.” he responded, squeezing her tighter. He opened his eyes and looked over at her. “Hey Dot?”

“Hey Bob?”

“You know how we plan on doing a public wedding?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“What happens if…well…” he began.

“What happens if what?”

“What happens if you get pregnant before then?”

Dot thought for a nano. She hadn’t really thought about it, well she had, but…”So I get pregnant before the ‘official’ wedding.” she shrugged. She then smiled at Bob. “Why do you ask?” she asked. “Am I planning on getting pregnant before the ‘official’ wedding?”

Bob shrugged. “It’s on my ‘do to’ list.” he said, mysteriously. He was taken by surprised when she kissed him passionately.

“Well, there is only one way to co-process a baby.” she said, her eyes darkening.